Hose coupling



L t e e h S w Du Ou h S 3 & m I OH GU 0 H E M B A d 0 M 0 m INVENTOR:

Patented June 8,1897.

WXTNESSES gm By his Attorneys,

3 Sheets-Sheet 3. E. E. GOLD. HOSE COUPLING.

(No Model.)

No. 584,144. Patented June 8,1897.

INVENTOR: 5M 5 M By 1213 Altorneys,

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WITNESSES: MM

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EDlVARD E. GOLD, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

HOSE-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 584,144, dated June 8,1897.

Application filed December 30, 1893. $erial No. 495,166. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDVVARD'E. GOLD, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hose-Couplings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention provides an improved means for coupling together twolengths of hose, being especially designed for the air-brake and steam-heating pipes of railwaycars, but adapted also to the uniting of gardenand fire hose and the like and pipes, heads, and nippies.

My improved coupling is constructed with two abutting heads forming theterminal ends of the opposite lengths of hose, with a tightening-leverpivoted to either head, a lockinglink pivoted to said lever and adaptedfor engaging the other head and the lever so movable that when it isturned forward the link shall be adapted to freely engage the oppositehead, and as it is turned back it draws back the link to press the headstogether and car ries the pivotal axis of the link past the deadcenterin order to lock the coupling and prevent any internal pressure fromseparating the heads.

My invention also provides for drawing a cap over the open end of eithercoupling to close the entrance to the holes when uncoupled, in order toexclude foreign substances and, if desired, prevent escape of internalpressure.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation showing thepreferred embodiment of my invention as applied to two lengths of hose,which are shown coupled together. Fig. 2 is a similar side elevationshowing the coupling in the act of being uncoupled. Fig. 3 is a plan ofthe hose and coupling. Fig. a is a side elevation of one half of thecoupling and a longitudinal section of the other half, showing the hoseuncoupled. Fig. 5 is a transverse section cut on the line 5 5 in Fig. 2and looking toward the right. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of thetightening-lever. Figs. 7 and 8 are a side elevation and end. view ofthe locking-link. The remaining views illustrate modifications, Fig. 9being a side elevation showing the heads coupled, and Fig. 10 a similarelevation showing them in the act of coupling or uncoupling. Fig. 10 isan inverted plan or underneath View of the locking-link shown in Figs. 9and 10.

I will first describe the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 8.

Let A A designate the respective lengths of hose that are to be coupledtogether, and B B the abutting ends thereof, constituting thecoupling-heads, these portions being preferably constructed as separateparts fastened to the ends of the hose proper-as, for example, in themanner shown in the sectional partof Fig. 4twhere the head B consists ofa thick ring I), having a flat end or seating face and formed with atubular shank or neck a, which projects inside the hose,.the latterbeing held therein by means of a collar 0, tightened upon the neck. Anyother construction known in the art, however, may be substituted forthis specific construction of coupling, provided it is adapted to affordthe requisite cooperation with the other parts to be hereinafterdescribed.

To one or either of the coupling-heads is pivoted a lever O, which Ishall call the tightening-lever. This lever and the other parts of thecoupling are preferably applied to both heads, only one set of parts,however, being used at one time, so that so far as is essential to myinvention the disused set might be wholly omitted. The tighteninglever'Ois made preferably of U form with its loop passing over the hose and itstwo legs terminating on opposite sides of the hose and being formed witheyes a", Fig. (i, which eyes are pivotally applied to fulcrum-pins (Z(Z, projecting from opposite sides of the head B, the fulcrum-axis thusformed being preferably arranged as a horizontal diametrical lineintersecting the coupling-head. At a short or suitable distance from theeyes a the lever C is formed with other eyes 6 e, as shown in Fig. 6.The lever C may be conveniently made of stiff Wire bent to form the eyes0 and e or formed of cast or wrought metal or malleable cast-iron and inany suitable shape. Pivoted to the tightening-lever in the eyes 2thereof is a link D. (Shown separately in Figs. 7 and 8.) This link is1nade,preferably, to extend from both sides of the couplinghead and isformed with some suitable provisions for engaging or looking itself tothe opposite coupling-head by means of reciprocal lockin g provisionsprovided on the latter. In the construction shown the reciprocalprovisions referred to are constituted by the outer ends of the pins (1cl, constituting the fulcrum-pivots for the tightening-lever G of theopposite head, but other parts might be provided to be engaged by thelocking-link D in lieu thereof. For purposes of distinction indescribing the parts I will letter the last-named pins which are engagedby the locking-link in question d d. To adapt the link D to engage thesepins (1, it is formed at its outer or free portion with hooksff, which,when engaged with the pins (1, occupy the position shown in Fig. 1. Toconnect the opposite sides of the link with each other, the latter isarched or extended over from side to side by a port-ion lettered g, asshown best in Fig. 8. I have shown the link as made of wire, the portion9 constituting the middle of a length of wire which is bent to form thehooksff, and is thence extended backwardly and bent inwardly at h h toconstitute pivotal portions which pass through the eyes 6 e of thetightening-lever C, theends of the wire i 1' being turned downwardly toprevent the pivotal portions h from slipping out of the eyes. Thepivotal portions h h are in line with each other on an axis 6C :0.(Shown in Fig. 8, and also in Fig. 5, where the parts are assembled.)

The operation may now be understood. To couple the hose, the two heads BB are brought together, the tightening-lever of one head is thrown up orforward, and the hooked ends f of the locking-linkD are turned down toengage the pins d on the opposite head. The tightening-lever (J is thendrawn back and pressed down until it lies against the hose A, as shownin Fig. 1. During this movement it draws back the link D so as to pressthe two heads together, and toward the end of the movement it carriesthe pivotal axis 00 of the.

link below the middle of the coupling-head, and consequently past thedead-center-that is to say, past a line drawn through the axis of thepins d and d parallel with the longitudinal axis of the bore of thecoupling-heads bringing the pivotal axisa; beneath the imaginary'linereferred to, so that any pull tending to separate the heads exerts itstension against the lever O in such direction as to tend to thrust thelatter farther down, the tendency of which is resisted by the stoppingof the lever 0 against the hose, where its loop or handle portion restsupon the top of the hose. It results from this construction that nopressure tending to force or pull the heads apart and which is withinthe resisting strength of the material that is employed can becomeeffective to uncouple the heads. To uncouple, it is only necessary tothrow up the tighteninglever 0, whereby the link D is slackened and theheads will fall apart.

IVhile either set of couplingdevices is in use the other set is turnedback out of the way. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the left-hand lever O and linkD are the ones that are shown to be in use, while the right-hand lever(lettered C) and link (lettered D) are shown thrown back. The lever O ispivoted on the pins d, and link D is employed for coupling whileengaging the pins (6 on the opposite head. It is advantageous to haveboth heads provided with the coupling devices in order that if thedevices upon either head become injured or inoperative those on theopposite head may be used for coupling and also that either coupling-head maybe coupled to a plain head having only pins d or cl. Inorder that when the parts are thrown back the links D or D shall notfall behind the lever O or O, the lever is formed with outwardprojections k 76, Fig. 0, against which the sides of the link strike asthe latter is thrown back, as shown at the right in Figs 1 and 2.

In order to enable the end of the hose to be closed or capped over whenuncoupled, I pro vide the coupling with a cap E, the one for theright-hand coupling being lettered E. This cap is provided with arms ZZ, extending down on opposite sides of the couplinghead, the endportions of which are pivotally connected to the lever 0, through themedium of the pivotal portions h of the link D, in the manner best shownin Fig. 5. When the coupling is uncoupled, this cap E is swung down to aposition in front of the couplinghead, whereupon by drawing back thetightening-lever O the cap is drawn back tight against thecoupling-head, so as to close it in the manner shown in Fig. 4. The armsZ l of the cap may be either rigidly or pivotally connected to the cap,and in the act of turning back the lever the pivotal connection of thesearms with the lever is carried beyond the dead-center in the manneralready described with reference to the locking-link, so that nointernal pressure can force off the cap unless it exceeds the resistingstrength of the materials employed. In hose-couplings for railway-carsit is desirable to be able to thus close the ends of the hose in orderto prevent the admission of grit or dirt, and also in airbrake or steamcouplingsto close the pipe at the end of the train inorder to preventescape of the internal pressure, or in the case of a vacuum-brake toprevent entrance of atmospheric air. In order to prevent the link D frombeing thrown back behind the arms lot the cap E, these arms are formedwith outward projections or stops 'm, which stand in the way of thelink, as shown in Fig. 5. At the same time these projections do notintercept the lever O or 0, since the outward lyprojecting portions ofthe latter are arranged to carry it out beyond the projections m, asshown in Fig. 5, so that the cap E or E can be turned to either side ofthe tightening-lever O or C.

For a hose-coupling for railway-cars it is desirable that it shall beconstructed to automaticall y uneouple when the two cars are drawnapart, the straightening out of the hose under the pulling apart by therespective sections of cars to which they are attached being the meanscomm only utilized for effect ing the uncoupling. To adapt my improvedcoupling to uncouple in this manner, I have provided it with a specialconstruction, which I will now describe. To any external part of thecouplinghead and suitably to the external collar 0 is pivoted on afulcrum-pin n a lever G, which extends back and is provided with a ringG, which embraces the hose. The lever is also extended forward beyondits fulcrumed pivot n to form a short arm which terminates in an outwardprojection p, which comes beneath the tightening-lever C. In the normaldrooping position of the hose-sections while coupled, as shown in Fig.1, this projection 12 stands just beneath the locked position of thelever G, and consequently does not interfere with the operation ofcoupling; butif a coupling be not uncoupled by hand before the cars aredrawn apart the straightening out of the two lengths of hose willstraighten the levers G G, applied to them, and the projections 19 onthese levers will consequently be thrown upward, as shown in Fig. 2, andwill throw up the levers C G of the'two couplings, so that the lockedlever will be carried high enough to bring the pivotal axis of thelocking-link D above the dead-center, whereupon the two couplingheadswill fall apart. Each lever G is preferably a double one, extending onopposite sides of the hose, as shown in Fig. 3, and having projections pp on both sides to engage both arms or portions of the lever C.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a modification in which the coupling-heads(here lettered B B are integral with the hose, several fastening devicesbeing mounted upon the clamping-collars lettered 0 On each couplinghead. the tighteningdcver C is pivoted on opposite sides of this collarat (1 and is formed with the eyes (2'', to which is pivoted a locking-link D the tighteninglever being thence carried backward and formedwith another eye e and bent at right angles to form a loop 3', extendingover the hose. The two locking-hooks D of the respective coupling-headsare reciprocal, being adapted for engagement with each other, so thateach constitutes the locking provision engaged by the link on theopposite head. To this end each link is formed on one side of thecouplinghead with a hook f and on the opposite side of the head with aneye q, as best shown in Fig. 10, which shows the under side of onelockinglink detached. The hookf on onelink hooks into the loop g on theother, and vice versa. Consequently the coupling maybe tightened bymeans of either tightening-lever, both levers being in the lockedposition when the coupling is coupled, as shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 10 showsthe operation of coupling or uncoupling the tightening-lever at theleft.

W hen my coupling is used for steam heatin g, it is desirable to provideit with automatic traps for draining off any accumulated water ofcondensation whenever the steam-pressure is turned off. For this purposeI have shown a gravity-trap H applied to the under side of each of thecoupling-heads, which trap is of a well-known construction. (Shown insection in Fig. 4.) This trap is best applied in an oblique position,but may be applied vertically to the under side of the coupling-head, asshown, by specially constructing it to that end, so that it shall swingopen when the internal pressure is relieved and let any accumulatedwater run out.

The fulcrum-pins 02 extend outwardly as projections in the path of theends 2' of the links D, as shown in Figs. 1 to S, and these ends areshaped to engage the pins 9?. as the eyes 9 of the lever G rise past thedead-center, and by such engagement to tilt their link upwardly underthe further movement of the lever, and thereby raise the hooks f of thelink up relatively to the pins these hooks engage;

I claim as my invention the following-defined novel features,substantially as hereinbefore set forth, namely:

1. In a hose-coupling the combination of two abutting heads, atightening'lever pivoted to one head, a locking-link pivoted to saidlever, a reciprocal lockin g device applied to the other head to beengaged by said link, said lever constructed as it is turned back tocarry the pivotal axis of the link past the dead-center to tighten andlock the coupling, and an unlocking-lever G fulcrumed to thecoupling-head with its long arm embracing the hose and its short armformed with a projection 29 adapted as the hose is straightened out toengage said tightening-lever and throw it up to carry the pivotal axisof the link past the dead-center to loosen and unlock the coupling.

2. In a coupling the combination of two abutting heads, atightening-lever pivoted to one head, a locking-link pivoted to saidlever and adapted to engage the opposite head, and a cap adapted to beturned down against the head to which said lever is pivoted and closethe opening therein, said cap having arms extending to said lever andpivoted thereto, and the lever constructed as it is turned back whensaid locking-link is engaged with the opposite head to carry the pivotalaxis of the link past the dead-center to tighten and lock the coupling,and also when the coupling is uncoupled and said cap is turned downopposite the coupling-head to carry its pivotal engagement with the armsof said cap past the deadcenter as it is turned back to tighten the capagainst the coupling-head.

In a coupling the combination of two abutting heads, a tightening-leverC pivoted to one head, a locking-link D pivoted to said lever, areciprocal locking device applied to the other head to be engaged bysaid link, a

cap E having arlns Z Z pivoted to said lever andadapted to be turneddown when the coupling is uncoupled toclose'the opening into said head,the arms Z and linkD being both pivoted to'the lever O on the same axis,and the lever C being constructed as it is turned back to carry saidpivotal axis past the deadcenter to tighten and lockeither theengagement of the link with the opposite head or the engagement of thecap with its own head.

at. In a coupling the combination of two abutting heads, atightening-lever O pivoted to one head, a locking-link D pivoted to saidlever and adapted to engage the, opposite my name in the presence of twosubscribing 2o Witnesses.

EDWARD E. GOLD.

Witnesses:

GEORGE II. FRASER, Tnonns F. WALLACE.

